Most viewers liked Biden’s State of the Union remarks, poll finds

A majority of Americans who saw President Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday responded positively, a CNN flash poll conducted right after the speech revealed.

The poll, which was conducted among those who watched the Thursday event, found that 64% said they had a positive reaction to Mr. Biden’s message and 35% had a very positive reaction. An additional 29% said they had a somewhat positive reaction.

The poll found that 35% of viewers said they had a negative reaction to the address.

CNN noted that while Mr. Biden received largely positive responses to his speech from those surveys, the number was still lower than his previous address to Congress and the American people.

Mr. Biden didn’t appear to quell voters’ fears that he’s too old to do the job. Just 31% of those who watched said they had a lot of confidence in his ability to carry out his duties as president; 28% said they had some confidence and 41% said they had no real confidence.

Still, that’s an uptick from a survey conducted before the speech in which 25% of the same expressed confidence in his ability to carry out duties, with 27% saying they had some confidence and 48% saying they had no confidence.

After last year’s State of the Union speech, 72% of viewers polled had a positive reaction, with 34% saying their reaction was very positive. In 2022, 71% had a positive reaction, with 41% very positive.

Thursday’s poll found that two-thirds of independents who tuned in offered a positive reaction, while three-quarters of Republicans had a negative review.

Among Americans who watched, 62% said Mr. Biden’s proposals would move the country in the right direction, even as a poll conducted before his remarks found that just 45% of those people thought the president’s policies would do so.

CNN noted that sample polling after a State of the Union speech tends to run more favorably to a president because the majority of viewers are typically within his party. The poll, which has been conducted since 1998, has found that more Democrats watch when a Democrat is delivering the address, and the same for Republicans.